koala vs silky shrew opossum

Phascolarctos cinereus compared with Caenolestes fuliginosus

Key Differences

koala is Vulnerable while silky shrew opossum is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	koala	silky shrew opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order	Diprotodontia (Marsupials)	Paucituberculata (Paucituberculata)
Family	Phascolarctidae (Koalas)	Caenolestidae
Genus	Phascolarctos (Koalas)	Caenolestes
Species	Phascolarctos cinereus	Caenolestes fuliginosus

Evolutionary Relationship

koala and silky shrew opossum share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamíferos)

Vista Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status

koala

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~100.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

silky shrew opossum

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	koala	silky shrew opossum
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	75 cm	—
Average Weight	10.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

koala

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found in Australia. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

silky shrew opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

koala

Icónico marsupial del este y sureste de Australia, los koalas pesan hasta 15 kg y pasan hasta 22 horas diarias durmiendo para conservar energía de su dieta de hojas de eucalipto, baja en calorías. Altamente especializados para procesar los compuestos tóxicos del eucalipto que matarían a la mayoría de los demás mamíferos, poseen microbiomas intestinales únicamente adaptados para la desintoxicación. Clasificado como En Peligro en 2022, con poblaciones diezmadas por la enfermedad de clamidia, la deforestación y el cambio climático.